A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at 17 Eddy Street in Hamilton is listed for sale with a price guide of $2.55 million to $2.75 million. The two-level design includes a ground-floor bedroom suited to guests or elderly relatives. The open-plan living area features a Miele kitchen and a covered outdoor terrace. Upstairs, the primary suite has a tiled en suite. The property sits in a quiet cul-de-sac near local schools and Gregson Park. First National Newcastle agent George Rafty is handling the listing, with an inspection set for Saturday, October 24, from 11.30am to 12noon.
A three-bedroom home at 12 Rose Avenue in Glendale, Lake Macquarie, has been listed for sale with a guide price on application. The renovated property sits on an 834-square-metre block in a quiet cul-de-sac. Its outdoor area includes a built-in fireplace, and a self-contained studio with its own bathroom sits on the site. Listing agent Peter Shiels said the home suits entertaining and extended family. The location offers access to schools, shops and transport links to Newcastle.
Former out-of-home care manager Damian Ellis Spohr has pleaded not guilty to 30 charges relating to five women he previously worked with. The charges include alleged sexual offences and choking between 2020 and 2025 at several New South Wales locations. Spohr denies all charges. Speaking at Newcastle District Court, Crown prosecutor Adele Banks described the case as extensive, citing a large body of text message evidence. The judge adjourned the matter to November 5 to decide whether the trial will be held in Newcastle or moved to Sydney.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Ten students from Northlakes High School will take part in the Deadly Dozen Newcastle fitness race on Sunday, November 1. The local community organisation Spotters Project is also entering the event.
Barrister Geoffrey Watson has condemned the New South Wales government's plan to introduce special laws allowing more coal production at the Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook. The High Court earlier ruled the mine's approval was invalid. Premier Chris Minns said the bill would let MACH Energy raise output by 32 per cent and save 400 jobs. Watson and former judge Anthony Whealy said the move overrides a court decision. The NSW Greens questioned the job claims, and the government said any compliance investigation is a matter for the regulator.
ORRCA's Port Stephens and Newcastle pod is asking the community to help fund a drone. The pod hopes to raise about $4,000. Volunteers say the drone would help them keep entangled whales in sight until rescue teams arrive, and check injured dolphins, seals and whales. The appeal has received $1,000 so far, including $500 each from Soldiers Point Bowling Club and Tilligerry Peninsula Lions Club. Anyone who sees a stranded, injured or entangled marine mammal is urged to call ORRCA's 24-hour hotline rather than attempt a rescue.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced laws to let the Mount Pleasant coalmine in the Hunter Valley keep operating at expanded rates, despite a recent High Court ruling against its approval. Retired Supreme Court judge Anthony Whealy said the move obliterated the legal process and called for an independent review. The government says the laws will protect 400 jobs while court proceedings continue. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann accused the government of state capture. The planning department is also investigating the mine over alleged breaches of its coal production limits.
Former Newcastle Knights player Alex McKinnon and his fiancee Lily Malone have bought a new home at Merewether, announced on a joint Instagram post showing a sold sticker. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom dual-level home had been marketed at about $2.95m and had been on and off the market for four years. The couple's Lambton home was recently sold by McKinnon. McKinnon now works as a recruitment analyst for the Knights, and the couple plan to marry at Byron Bay in May.
Auckland FC, Wellington Phoenix and Macarthur FC all won their opening A-League matches. Riley Bidois scored a late winner as Wellington beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 in their 20th-anniversary season opener. Auckland beat Melbourne City 3-1, with Lachlan Bayliss scoring twice on debut. Central Coast and Newcastle drew 2-2, and Sydney FC and Western Sydney were held to a goalless draw. Sydney FC coach Patrick Kisnorbo and Wanderers coach Ufuk Talay both said the derby was a scrappy contest.
Police charged 15 people with a combined 23 offences during a two-day operation across Newcastle, the Hunter and the Central Coast. The operation, called Operation Disrupt, ran from 2am on Friday 16 October to 2am on Saturday 17 October. Officers targeted transport hubs and nearby shopping areas in Newcastle, Tuggerah Lakes, Wyong and Gosford. Knife scanning screened 110 people and detected two knives. Police said the operation will continue. Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism Yasmin Catley praised the results and officers involved.
The NSW government will introduce legislation allowing MACH Energy to raise annual coal output at its Mount Pleasant mine near Muswellbrook by 4 million tonnes, to 16.5 million tonnes, until 2032. Premier Chris Minns said the bill was needed to protect 400 jobs before Christmas. The move follows a high court ruling that the approval of an expansion at the mine was invalid. Environmental groups and a lawyer who acted in the case criticised the plan, saying it bypasses the planning process and the court's decision.
The NSW Government will introduce legislation to protect around 400 jobs at MACH Energy's Mount Pleasant coal mine near Muswellbrook. The move follows a High Court decision that created legal uncertainty for the mine's operations. MACH Energy has agreed to a job guarantee, committing to keep its current permanent workforce until 2032. The proposed law would allow annual production of up to 16.5 million tonnes until 2032 and require existing staffing levels to be maintained. Premier Chris Minns said the intervention protects regional workers and their families before Christmas.
Two men who flew from Western Australia to collect a newly bought aircraft have died after it crashed near Scone Aerodrome in the Upper Hunter. Emergency services were called to a paddock on Bunnan Road on Friday 16 October. Police found two men dead inside the cockpit. Western Australian media have identified them as Revel Downing, 58, and William Simons, 63. Flight tracking data suggests the plane lost signal seconds after leaving Scone. Investigators are examining weather, mechanical issues and pilot error, and the wreckage has been taken to Newcastle.
Newcastle Knights coach Justin Holbrook and his wife Natalie have bought a four-bedroom hillside home in Merewether for $3.35m. The house has a modern extension and sits near the popular beach. Holbrook recently steered the club to the NRL grand final, where it lost by a point to the Sydney Roosters. He signed a three-year deal to coach the Knights. The couple's new home is a subdivided 362 square metre holding with city skyline and beach views. Holbrook also keeps a Burleigh Waters home and a Burleigh Heads apartment.
Sydney will host the 2027 Super Netball Grand Final for the first time since the competition began. The event is expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors and inject more than $4 million into the NSW visitor economy. The match will be played on Saturday 31 July at Afterpay Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, and is proposed rather than confirmed. Netball Australia chair Liz Ellis said the event would celebrate the sport's passion across New South Wales. NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state would invest more in netball, one of its biggest participation sports.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
The NSW Government has committed $6.8 billion to electrify the South Coast rail line between Kiama and Bomaderry and to double tracks at key bottlenecks. Construction is expected to be complete by the mid-to-late 2030s, with detailed planning starting in 2027. The announcement follows the government scrapping timetable changes that were due to take effect in November after community concerns. Premier Chris Minns said the upgrade would deliver faster, more reliable trains. An immediate $621 million will fund upgrades to power, signalling and flood protection ahead of the main works.
Kiama Community Radio is hosting Blues in the Night, a fundraising event on Saturday 7 November at Kiama Leagues Club. The station, run by volunteers, is seeking support to fund its equipment, technology and facilities. Headliner Frank Sultana will perform alongside Shane Flew and Matt Ross, and Jr and the Jewel-Tones, which includes Kiama musician Dave Shaw. Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets cost $50, or $40 for station members, plus a booking fee. Every ticket sold supports the station, which has operated since 2020.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
NSW gun owners can book to surrender firearms under the National Gun Buyback from Monday, 2 November, before rules on keeping extra guns are finalised. Under a draft proposal, licence holders with genuine reasons such as sport shooting, pest control or business could apply to keep more than 10 guns, while recreational hunters are capped at four. Only six stations, none in the New England, will take surrenders at first. Eligible licence holders will receive letters and must book through the Gun Safe portal.
Gun owners on the North Coast will have to wait months to surrender firearms under the NSW National Gun Buyback. Grafton is the only North Coast station opening from November 2. Lismore, Ballina and Tweed Heads stations start on February 8, 2027. The limit of 10 guns per licence holder is still a draft proposal, with exemptions under consideration. Walk-ins are not accepted, and surrenders require a booking through the Gun Safe portal.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been hired as a professor of practice at the University of Sydney. The 46-year-old joins the faculty of medicine and health, where the role will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust. Ardern will explore ways to address global health challenges, inclusion and wellbeing, and will lead guest lectures and masterclasses. The university says the position is not a full-time teaching role. Ardern and her family moved to Australia in February, reportedly buying a $5.3 million home on Sydney's northern beaches.
